


Thicker than Blood

by BregoBeauty



Series: Blood Ties [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: American Civil War, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Historical Inaccuracy, Human/Vampire Relationship, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Protective Siblings, Salvatore Family Saga, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-05-13 18:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14754353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BregoBeauty/pseuds/BregoBeauty
Summary: Elizabeth Salvatore loved both her brothers in different ways. Despite being Stefan's twin, she took after Damon in looks and personality. When he joined the Confederate Army, she worried she would never see him again. She never expected to watch their father shoot and kill both of her brothers. As the last living Salvatore in 1864, Elizabeth fulfilled the marriage contract signed by her father to try and save the family home.It would be another four years before Elizabeth saw her beloved brother again. And now, in present day Mystic Falls, she is the only one who might be able to protect her brothers from their base impulses and keep the family secret if she doesn't expose herself. But it might be worth it to finally be loved. To live her own life on her own terms.





	1. Chapter One: 1864

_For over a hundred-and-forty years, I’ve hidden who I am from the world. I’ve supported and protected my brothers. I’ve lived around the globe both alone and with others. I had a family once, but it’s easier to pretend I didn’t._

_Now, thanks to the never-ending feud between my brothers, our secret is about to be exposed. All of us are about to be exposed._

_If that happens, I will lose everything, including him. I’m not afraid of death. Not really. I’ve already died once._

_Perhaps I should start at the beginning._

_My name is Elizabeth Marie Salvatore and I am a vampire._

 

 

**Chapter One**

 

_There’s not a day where I don’t miss my brother. I worry about him constantly, being out there where anything could happen. I admire him for fighting to protect us, but I still wish he was here at home. Then Father wouldn’t always be angry with me._

_I wish our visitor could be Damon home for good. I would do anything if it meant he could come home. I know Father thinks I need to socialize with young ladies my own age, but I don’t. I just need my brother._

_~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary_

 

_1864_

The cracking of gravel along the drive in front of Veritas sent seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Salvatore flying down the main staircase with her long dark hair loose. Her pale pink silk gown rustled as she skipped steps in her rush, holding her skirts a bit, flashing a pair of her brother’s old boots laced tightly around her feet instead of the proper matching slippers.

Breathing heavily, she hastily brushed her skirts back into place and stepped out the front door, her cheeks flushed from the short dash down the stairs. It was the blasted corset that reined her in as always.

Her father and twin brother were already standing on the porch as the carriage rolled up and the horses halted. Despite the warmth, they were both dressed appropriately with their ties knotted and their hair parted and carefully arranged. They looked like gentleman.

“Elizabeth, honestly,” her father shot her a disapproving glare as he took in her half-finished appearance. “Can you not at least try to behave like a lady? Just for a day?”

“I apologize, Father. I will do better.”

Her brother stood there quietly and she knew he was secretly amused by the turn of events. Usually it was their older brother, Damon, who was on the receiving end of their father’s wrath. Now with Damon off fighting for the Confederacy, there was no buffer between them. Consequently, she now bore the full brunt of their father’s hostility. It didn’t help that she, like Damon, took after their deceased mother, Lillian, in looks.

Giuseppe Salvatore let out a huff in response before refocusing on the carriage and their new arrival. They rarely had houseguests at Veritas, let alone young women around her age. Elizabeth knew she should be excited about company, but she wished it was her brother home for good. That was the only visitor she truly needed.

The carriage door opened and slowly a young woman emerged, her dainty hand held by the coachman. She tilted her head up, her hat obscuring much of her face. Dark curls were artfully arranged to frame her face, her eyes a deep brown. She was the opposite of Elizabeth—ladylike and demure compared to the half-wild girl she most often appeared to be.

Their visitor made a deep curtsy before approaching the house, her gloved hands clasped together. Elizabeth quickly shoved her bare hands behind her back. She’d left her gloves atop her dresser. Again.

“Miss Pierce, please allow me to introduce my children. This is my son, Stefan,” Father said, gesturing toward her twin brother who made a quick bow. “And my youngest, Elizabeth,” he added with a hint of disdain as he gestured to her.

Even in her father’s stare, Elizabeth held herself tall. She wasn’t perfect. She was too wild and too stubborn, her father remarked; too much like her eldest brother. She never minded the comparison to Damon. Stefan may be the perfect son in their father’s eyes, but Damon was the perfect brother in hers.

“My oldest son, Damon, is away with the army. Perhaps you will get a chance to meet him in the future, or once we win the war.”

“It would be my pleasure, Mr. Salvatore. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to stay at your lovely home,” the strange girl said. Her voice was sweet, like honey, but it seemed too sweet. Too fake.

“The pleasure is all ours,” Stefan said, kissing the girl’s gloved hand.

Elizabeth felt ill. She could feel it already, like a sickness, in the air. She wanted to bolt far away from the other girl.

“Welcome to Mystic Falls, Miss Pierce. I do wish your stay was under better circumstances,” their father continued, ever the gentleman and host.

“Please, call me Katherine.”

Elizabeth took that moment to slowly back away. The heat or maybe it was the tightly-laced corset was making her lightheaded. She needed air. She needed space. She needed to get away from this stranger. Right now.

She didn’t care how rude or improper it was. She couldn’t take another moment in her presence. Besides, her father and Stefan would entertain their guest.

Elizabeth slipped through the house and out the backdoor. With every foot between her and their guest, she felt lighter and more able to breathe. But that didn’t stop her from vanishing into the barn, out of sight of the house and Miss Katherine Pierce.

* * *

A few days later, all of her attempts to avoid their guest failed. She found herself cornered in the front parlor with a book from the family library in her hands. She could have done needle work, yet she much preferred the weight of a leather-bound volume to a slender needle and slippery thread. Her disdain for handicrafts had been frowned upon in finishing school by both her peers and teachers. They easily blamed it on her being motherless and without someone to teach her womanly arts. She blamed it on the shear dullness of needlecraft.

Their houseguest blocked the only exit from the room. “You must be Elizabeth. We never had a chance to formally chat the other day. I must say, you don’t look anything like your brother.”

“Hello, Miss Katherine.” She studied Katherine with her eyes, the same piercing blue as Damon’s. It had always amused him that she shared no similarities with her twin. “Father says we are night and day. Pray tell, why are you so keen on my brother?”

Katherine smiled wistfully at the youngest Salvatore, still standing near the doorway. The sickness was back again. She felt faint. It had to be the heat.

“Stefan is unlike any man I have ever met.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he is betrothed. His wedding is already set.”

Elizabeth watched the anger and jealousy flash across their guest’s porcelain features. It was her first glimpse of the real Katherine Pierce beyond the painted doll—the petty, impulsive, and childish woman. The sickness rose, bile pushing up her throat as Katherine moved closer.

“What a shame,” she said in that sugar-sweet voice. “She must be real special to ensnare his heart. Tell me, Elizabeth, dear, what is it about her that your brother finds irresistible?”

Katherine’s brown eyes bore into hers, probing and prodding for information. Elizabeth felt her lips part, as if to speak, then shut them.

“I’m sorry?” she asked, her voice a little hoarse, She touched her throat, rubbing the skin. She still felt very lightheaded from being in close proximity to her.

“I was just inquiring about your sister-to-be.” Katherine smiled with her lips but her eyes remained cold and hard.

Elizabeth closed her book and slowly stood up, swaying on her feet. “I’m sorry, Miss Katherine, but I have other matters to attend to. Perhaps we can discuss this matter another time?”

“Certainly.”

She turned quickly, hurrying away from their unusual guest. Katherine’s very presence felt tainted and evil. Being near the woman made her ill. She couldn’t explain it, especially since both her father and Stefan seemed unaffected. They seemed to hang on their guest’s every word.

Elizabeth hurried as fast as her corset and skirts would allow from the parlor and the house. From Katherine and the darkness that surrounded her.


	2. Chapter Two: 1864 & 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon returns home in both 1864 and present day.

**Chapter Two**

 

_ I can’t escape her. She’s everywhere. And Stefan is always right at her side, attending to her every whim. It makes me sick to watch him follow her like a lost pup. If Damon were here, he could help talk sense into him. Stefan won’t listen to me. He never does. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

“Beautiful day, is it not?” a familiar voice broke into her thoughts as she sat on the porch of the main house, a book in hand, as she sat just out of the bright sun’s path.

Elizabeth dropped the book as if it were a hot coal. “Damon? Is that really you?”

Her brother smirked, so handsome in his blue-grey uniform, still looking very much like the Damon she knew and loved. As mischievous as ever, if not a touch older in the few months that had passed. 

“Hello, little sister.”

She flew down the porch steps and into his arms. “You have no idea how much I missed you!” She heard him chuckle as he spun her in a circle.

“Tell me, Lizzy, how are things in good old Mystic Falls?”

“Only if you tell me about life in the army. Have you been anywhere exciting? Have you seen the ocean? Mountains?”

“I’m afraid that’s Confederacy business, little girl, and I cannot divulge those secrets.” He had a wicked smiled to go with the gleam in his eyes.

“I’m not a little girl!”

“You will always be my little sister, even when you’re old and grey.”

Elizabeth gasped loudly, offended. “How dare you, Damon Salvatore?! I will never grow old, at least, not like that! I will be graceful and distinguished, not old and grey!”

“Will you also find manners?” Damon teased, his hands tickling her sides through her layers of cloth and corset, causing her to squeal.

A different voice broke through her daze as the familiar sickness sunk in. “Miss Elizabeth? I heard you shouting… should I call for help?” Katherine called.

Her brother dropped her, immediately straightening his clothes and turning to address the newcomer. Elizabeth turned too. Katherine approached them slowly from the carriage house. She looked impeccable despite the summer heat, without so much as a stray hair out of place. 

Elizabeth struggled to smooth her own clothes, her hands clammy with sweat and her clothes stuck to her skin from her minor exertion. 

“Lizzy, you neglected to tell me we had company,” Damon admonished, slipping from teasing older brother into well-heeled gentleman in a snap.

“This is Katherine… she’s staying in the carriage house. Father invited her,” Elizabeth said, deliberately not addressing or introducing her as custom dictated. Katherine deserved no such consideration.

The dark-haired beauty held out her hand toward Damon. “Hello, I’m Katherine Pierce. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr…?”

“Salvatore. Damon Salvatore, and the pleasure is all mine, Miss Katherine.”

Just like that, her beloved brother was ensnared by Katherine’s charms.

* * *

_ 2009 _

Lizzy Salvatore swung open the front door of the Boarding House, her purse slung casually over her shoulder. Almost immediately, she crashed into a dark shape. The man on the front step chuckled and reached out to steady her. “Where’s the fire?” he teased.

A smile broke out across her face. “Damon? Is that you?” 

“Hello, little sister,” he greeted, hugging her as she threw her arms around him, her purse banging against his side, not that he appeared to notice. “Miss me?”

“Always!” She pressed her nose to his neck, breathing in his cologne. She’d nearly forgotten what her big brother smelt like. “It’s been too long.”

She took a step back, staring at him. He was still as handsome as ever, in a striking black leather jacket, plain shirt, and dark jeans with his hair artfully styled to look half-messy and half-perfect. No matter the decade, Damon Salvatore knew just how to make the ladies swoon.

“Where have you been? What are you doing here?” she begged.

“One question at a time, okay?”

She hugged him again. “Just don’t leave without saying good-bye, please?”

“And miss spending time with my favorite sister?” He raised his eyebrows. “Never. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Hahah, very funny,” she mocked, punching him in the chest. “Idiot.”

“Ah, I missed you, Lizzy.”

She shook her head at him. “Why are you in Mystic Falls, Damon? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you…”

“I know, I know,” he sighed. “It’s a long, complicated story. Anyways, I’m staying indefinitely and I do plan to catch up with you. Tell me, have you seen our dear brother, Stefan?”

Lizzy tensed at her twin’s name. “Not recently, no, but I can ask Zach.”

“He’s still alive?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, jerk, he is. He’s family and unlike you two idiots, I see him more often.”

“You and family.”

“At least I didn’t eat most of our relatives…” she countered.

“That was Stefan.” Her brother paused for dramatic effect. “Most times.”

“Why are you here? I thought you hated Mystic Falls.”

Her brother shrugged. “Can’t a big brother just visit his little sister? Why do I need a reason?”

“You’re hiding something from me…”

Damon smiled at her, putting an arm around her shoulders, as he herded her toward her parked car. “Lizzy, you’re paranoid. I knew you’d be here… you always come home every two decades or so. Plus, it’s almost the anniversary…”

“Of?”

“The infamous Battle of Willow Creek. It’s been one hundred and forty-five years. Knowing this town, they’ll probably throw a parade full of liquor and tourists. Why would I miss that? After all, the original Salvatore brothers were killed then. I should honor my namesake.”

She frowned. Damon could care less about town events. He also didn’t count years… not without a very good reason.

However, she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it meant spending time with him. She hadn’t spent much time with Damon, at least not since her first few decades as a vampire. He used to travel with her and taught her how to use her newfound abilities and disguise her feeds as animal attacks. He helped her survive in their new world; her new reality.

Damon protected her, just like he always had when they were human.

Until he couldn’t look her in the eyes without being overcome with guilt.


	3. Chapter Three: 1864

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth's suspicions of Katherine grow and someone turns up dead.

**Chapter Three**

 

_ I refuse to let Katherine Pierce win. She may have charmed Father, Stefan, and Damon, but I won’t let her win. I endure the sickness around her only to protect my family. _

_ I won’t lose my brothers to her. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 1864 _

Katherine Pierce might dress and look the part of a respectable lady, but she behaved like a harlot.

From her room, she could hear the laughter in the garden below as Katherine led her twin on a merry chase around and around. Had she no shame? Carrying on with an engaged man? Elizabeth didn’t know how life in Atlanta was, especially not with the war going on, but how could society there differ so from Virginia? How could Katherine possibly think it was acceptable to chase after Stefan?

The uneasy feeling in her stomach had yet to go away. The closer she was to Katherine, the more ill she felt. Keeping her distance helped soothe her nerves, but only just. There was something unnatural about their houseguest, yet she couldn’t put a finger on it.

All of her sympathies were with Rosalyn Cartwright. She had no idea that her betrothed was cavorting on with Katherine. No woman, no matter how dull, deserved to be treated that cruelly.

And to think, Stefan’s engagement party was only days away. 

She just wished she knew what Katherine’s plan was. She hadn’t stopped flirting with Damon even as she chased after Stefan. It made Elizabeth ill to see this stranger making fools out of her brothers.

* * *

_ A Few Days Later _

Stefan’s engagement dinner was packed with most of the town in attendance. It didn’t keep Elizabeth from noticing the trouble her brothers were getting into.

“Damon, how can you escort that woman?” she asked during a quiet moment at the edge of the dance floor.

“What are you talking about?”

“Katherine. She’s been sneaking around with Stefan. Haven’t you noticed?”

He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s foolish, Lizzy. She is our guest. It’s only polite to invite her. Besides, she is a good, virtuous woman. Like you. I think you two would really get on if you made an effort to be civil.”

She scoffed. “What is it about her that makes you both act fools?”

Damon leaned in closer to avoid the stares of the other guests. “We will continue this later, sister. Behave—Father’s noticing.”

Elizabeth closed her mouth, but that didn’t stop her from grinding the heel of her dancing slipper into her brother’s foot. She saw him grimace and heard the sharp hiss of pain escaping his lips. It served him right for ignoring her concerns.

Speaking of the devil, she hadn’t seen Katherine in several minutes. Stefan was busy greeting guests, while Damon limped off in search of liquor, but the troublesome woman was nowhere in sight. Neither was Stefan’s wife-to-be.

Gathering her long skirts, Elizabeth slipped through the crowd and into the fresh air outside. The house was stuffy from the heat and the bodies crammed inside. She took a deep breath, as deep as she could with her corset laced tight.

“Miss Elizabeth Salvatore?” a deep voice called from beside a pillar on the porch.

She jumped a little, not expecting anyone else to be outside. “You surprised me.”

“That was not my intention. We have not been formally introduced. I am Jonah Lockwood.”

Just like that, she got her first good look at the boy—no, the man—she would be marrying in a few short months. She studied him in the shadows. He had a strong jaw and handsome features, with his hair a light brown and his eyes dark in color. He appeared to be fit in his well-tailored and expensive clothes. 

The Lockwoods were rather well-to-do and lived in the largest home in Mystic Falls. In fact, the coming Founder’s Ball would be held at their home. It would be her first outing where she would be formally escorted by her fiancé. Jonah was close in age to Damon, but he seemed older somehow.

“It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you.”

He took her gloved hand and kissed it. “You are a beautiful woman, Elizabeth. I believe I am the luckiest man in Mystic Falls.”

Elizabeth felt a blush creep across her cheeks. “You are too kind to flatter me so. After all, we’ve only just met.”

“I feel like I have known you forever. Damon used to tell me stories of his half-wild sister. And here you are, a grown, respectable lady. I was half-expecting a child raised by wolves. Or worse, savages.”

“Oh, he does tend to embellish. And that was a long time ago. I’ve grown.”

“You certainly have.” She felt his eyes rove over her gown. It was fine fabric in a light blue to bring out her eyes and low-cut in the front in keeping with the current fashion for evening wear. Unlike other ladies, Katherine included, she preferred to keep the embellishments to a minimum.

“Why, thank you, Mr. Lockwood.”

“Please,” her future husband said. “Call me Jonah.”

“Thank you, Jonah.”

He held out his arm. “Shall we?”

She smiled and took it, finally ready to head back inside. And they danced. And danced. Jonah was a perfect gentleman. Perhaps marriage wouldn’t be the death sentence Damon swore it to be. She was actually having fun.

That is, until she heard an ungodly scream that sent her racing for the woods. A scream she knew from even the deepest part of herself. Jonah called after her, running after her, but she was far ahead.

Elizabeth gripped the layers of her dress tight, nearly ripping the fine fabric as she tried to free her legs for easy movement while her lungs strained against the boning of her corset for breath. Limbs reached out and snagged her skirts and her hair and she didn’t care. She kept running.

And then she stopped short.

It was Rosalyn Cartwright. And she was dead.


	4. Chapter Four: 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy confronts Stefan for the first time in years and details of their rift come to light.

**Chapter Four**

 

_ The last time my brothers were both together, people died. Lots of innocent people. Damon and Stefan bring out the worst in each other. It’s not even competition. It’s the blood lust. _

_ Damon likes to party and Stefan has no self-control.  _

_ My job is to keep the peace. And this time I’m not sure I want to. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 2009 _

Having Damon home felt like a dream. 

She still wasn’t sure what had brought him back to Mystic Falls, but it wasn’t long before Stefan appeared. The seasons were preparing to change from summer to fall when he turned up on the Boarding House doorstep.

Lizzy stopped in her tracks, facing the living room fire place, her eyes on the man stretched out on the sofa. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too, Lizzy,” her twin said, his tone rather even and pleasant, unlike their last visit. That one had been painful.

“Did you run out of Salvatores to kill?”

“Don’t worry, Zach’s fine. He’s off on Founder business and I’m on the wagon.” He held up a glass of their finest bourbon. “Care to join me in a drink?”

“Honestly?” Lizzy set her bag down carefully on an end table. “No, but I would like to know what you’re doing in my town.”

Stefan poured a second glass and brought it over to her. She took it slowly, sniffing for vervain. She wouldn’t put it past her twin to spike her drink. He’d tried it before. Despite being twins, two halves of a supposed whole, they had always been at odds. Being immortal hadn’t changed that.

“It’s a long story.”

“Time is on our side. It always will be. It’s a perk of immortality.” Her fingers fiddled with the pendant around her neck. The blue stone had the Salvatore family crest embedded and set with an ‘E’ for Elizabeth. Her daylight necklace was nearly identical to her brothers’ rings—and had been spelled by Emily Bennett herself long before Lizzy needed it.

Her brother sat down, reclining on a sofa. She perched on the arm of the other sofa across from him. “I truly am sorry for what happened, Lizzy. I hope you know that. I’m not a monster.”

“Yes, you are. You claim Damon is the monster, but we both know that’s a lie. You are the one with a list of names a mile long. A list of victims. How sick is that? Tell me, how many names have you added since Daniel?”

That threw him for a moment. She threw back her glass in the silence. She needed the alcohol just to be around him. She hadn’t been face-to-face with him since the 1970s. Lizzy had half-hoped to never see him again.

“None. I’m clean.”

“A junkie never changes his habit and a Ripper never stops lusting for human blood. You can’t turn it off. Whenever you do, you lose control and then Damon and I are stuck cleaning up the mess. I won’t let you do that in my town. Not again.”

He eyed her carefully. “Things are different now, Elizabeth, and this is not just your town. It’s  _ our _ town. All three of ours.”

She scoffed loudly.

“Look, what happened was an unfortunate accident. I’ll never forget it, but you’re my sister. I thought…”

“Thought what? Thought I couldn’t protect myself from a human? Newsflash, Stefan, but this isn’t 1868. You were over a hundred years too late to save me. I don’t need saving. I’m a grown woman—a vampire. I can take care of myself.”

Her twin sighed heavily. “Lizzy—“

“No, Stefan. We’re done. And if you won’t leave, I will.”

* * *

 

“I heard you shut Stefan down.” Damon sank into the tall grass beside her, his back pressed against the brick wall beside her. What was left of the wall, that is.

Old habits died hard. She still ran to what remained of their home, and huddled against the walls near where her room and Damon’s room had been. She used to run to him for help or just to annoy him. It was her safe place.

“I don’t owe him anything.”

“Lizzy, we all make mistakes.”

She shook her head, her dark hair falling around her shoulders, framing her face. “Not all of us destroy other people. He’s an animal, Damon. He almost killed me, too.”

“C’mon, you know that’s not true.”

“He says he was protecting me. From what? Daniel never hurt anyone, let alone me. He was a good man—a doctor.”

Her older brother sighed. “We can’t change the past. If we could…”

“We’d all have died long ago.”

“Maybe not. If I saved Katherine—“

Lizzy scrambled to her feet to face him. “No, don’t you even think about it! She’s even worse than Stefan. She did this to all of us. She destroyed our family—she got you both killed! She’s the reason I married Jonah. She’s…”

Damon jumped to his feet and put his hands on her shoulders in a comforting manner. “Don’t… Lizzy, Lizzy, that’s not…”

She collapsed into her older brother’s arms, hiccupping and babbling and crying all at the same time. He didn’t say a word as he held her, alternating between rubbing her back and stroking her hair. Damon really was a good brother.

* * *

 

Stefan, on the other hand, didn’t know when to quit.

After Damon calmed her down, Lizzy went back to the Boarding House, only to find Stefan wrapped up on the couch with a girl. It could have been any girl in the world, but instead it had to be the one person she hated.

Katherine Pierce was sitting on her sofa.


	5. Chapter Five: 1864

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth comes face-to-face with the monster killing folks.

**Chapter Five**

 

_ People are dying. They are being torn apart, their blood missing. Father is trying to shield me from the news, but I hear the whispers. _

_ They say its animals but I’ve heard another word—one that turns my blood to ice. _

_ Vampire. _

_ A living, dead creature who survives off the blood of others. A killer. Here. In Mystic Falls. _

_ I’m so scared we’re next. I’m so glad Damon is here. He’ll know what to do. He’ll make sure we are safe. _

_ With any luck, the vampire will take Katherine. _

_ It’s a terrible thing to wish, I know, but I don’t trust her. There’s an evil behind that pretty face. If I didn’t know better, I would think  _ she _ was behind the deaths. After all, they didn’t start until after she arrived. _

_ But a woman? No woman could do that. Not to men. Children, perhaps. _

_ Women aren’t killers. Not like this. Ripped out throats and stolen blood? No, never. These bodies are mutilated. I just pray their deaths were quick. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 1864 _

Rosalyn’s frail body and gown were coated in red blood. Her throat was gone—torn out. She’d been viciously attacked.

Elizabeth dropped her skirts to cover her mouth as sickness washed over her. A sickness she normally associated with Katherine’s presence. She swallowed hard and kneeled down in the grass beside the fallen girl.

“Stefan…” she breathed, putting a hand on her brother’s shoulder.

It had been his scream. His cry of alarm.

They didn’t need to speak. She knew what he needed in that moment. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him. Just letting him know he wasn’t alone.

They sat there for several minutes in silence before she heard Damon calling their names. He spotted them and ran their direction.

“Lizzy, you shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t see this…” Damon said softly. He gently pried her arms from Stefan, pulling her up from the ground.

“No…” she protested weakly.

“Lizzy, go back to the house. It isn’t safe out here. Go, run. Now.”

“But Stefan…”

“I will take care of him, Lizzy. Go.”

With a heavy heart, she took a long look at her brothers before racing back to the party. Rosalyn Cartwright had been savagely attacked and killed not far from the party. The party for her brother and his betrothed. A party held on their estate. Rosalyn had died on their land, beneath a tree they used to play by.

Breathing heavy, she reached the house. Standing on the porch was Katherine. She seemed pleased about something.

“What happened?” their guest asked.

“Another animal attack. Rosalyn is dead.”

“What a shame. Poor Stefan.”

“Yes,” she agreed, all while thinking about poor, dead Rosalyn.

“You really should be more careful,” Katherine mused, looking at her. Those brown eyes stared deep into her blue ones, sending a shiver down her spine as the familiar sickness set in again.

“I’m sorry?”

“If the animals are on Salvatore land now, there’s a good chance you could end up hurt. You shouldn’t go running off into the dark or sneaking around. Curiosity could get you killed.”

Elizabeth knew that was a threat. She knew in that moment that Katherine had something to do with Rosalyn’s death. Perhaps she’d lured her into the woods, maybe left a trail of blood for the beast to follow. 

She knew that Katherine would have no problem eliminating her and then comforting her brothers in the wake of her death. She wouldn’t put it past Katherine to stage an attack on herself to garner sympathy.

She had to figure out a way to get rid of Katherine before their guest got rid of her.

* * *

“Damon?” she called softly, knocking on the door.

The heavy door swung open at her touch, revealing an empty bedroom. She should’ve known better. Stefan lay down the hall in a drugged sleep and their brother was busy comforting their houseguest. A girl died on their land during a party and instead of keeping watch in the main house, he was entertaining in the carriage house.

Furious, Elizabeth picked up her skirts, still dressed in her ruined party clothes, and hurried down the back stairs. Their father was safely ensconced in his office, conferring with the other Founders and Mr. Cartwright. He would never notice her empty bed.

She ran across the lawn to the carriage house. The front door opened easily, letting her into the darkened house. As a child, she’d played in the house and knew it nearly as well as her own. Her skirts swished as she climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Katherine’s maid and confidant, Emily Bennett, would be long asleep by now. She listened for noise and caught wind of two voices—one male and one female. Damon and Katherine.

Liz paused outside the door, gathering her wits, before twisting the handle open.

Candles lit the room, their flickering flames alighting the two people tangled under the sheets. She recognized her brother, his bare chest facing her direction, Katherine’s long tresses across her back, the pale skin unclothed, as she straddled him.

Damon let out a cry of alarm as the door opened, thrusting Katherine to the side and hastily pulling a sheet over her to maintain her modesty. 

She stood in the doorway. “So this is how you spend your nights? You should be ashamed of yourself, you harlot!”

Katherine spun, the sheet held to her chest. Her eyes flashed, an angry red surrounding them. She looked like a feral creature in the candlelight. “My nights are none of your business, little Elizabeth,” she purred.

“When it involves my brothers it is.” She turned to stare at Damon, who seemed dazed. “How could you? You should be with Stefan…not her!”

“Stef’s fine. He’s sleeping it off.”

“His fiancée just had her throat torn out by some kind of animal! He’s not alright!”

“I think it is you who is not alright, Elizabeth,” Katherine said, standing up from the bed, the sheet draped loosely around her body. She touched her shoulder, causing Elizabeth to flinch away. “I could fix that.”

She took a step back, her stomach in a knot, her insides twisted in revulsion. “You are sick. You both are…”

“I have never had a brother and sister, not ones as similar as you two,” the other woman cooed. “If I did not know better, I would suspect you were twins.”

Brown eyes bore deep into her, sending chills down her spine. She was paralyzed, unable to move or even blink.

One long finger traced down her jaw to her throat. “This will be fun.”

Then Katherine turned her head and pain shot through Elizabeth’s body as sharp teeth bit into her throat.


	6. Chapter Six: 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare.

**Chapter Six**

 

_ Katherine is the reason we died. She damned us for eternity. I’m glad she’s dead. If she wasn’t, I would hunt her down in a heartbeat and rip out her throat. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 2009 _

“What the hell is  _ she _ doing here?”

Stefan and the girl broke apart. With her dark hair straight and her petite frame dressed in denim instead of a dress, she looked a far cry away from the Katherine Pierce who had arrived at Vertias one hundred and forty-five years prior. She had adapted to the times easily.

“Lizzy, this is—“

She held up a hand, cutting him off. “I know who that is. What is she doing in this house?”

“I’m sorry,” the girl said, sitting up straight. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble…”

“Trouble? We’re well beyond ‘trouble’!”

“Liz—“

“You don’t get to talk,” she hissed at Stefan. “And you… how dare you show your face here, you conniving, back-stabbing bitch?!”

The brunette backed away quickly, looking almost scared. Which was preposterous because Katherine didn’t get scared. She got even.

“Hey! Hey!” Damon’s voice broke in, his strong hands closing on her arms. She felt him physically pull her away from her twin and the vampire vixen. “Cool it!”

Lizzy struggled in his grip. “Let me go! I’m gonna kill her!”

“Oh, no… that’s not Katherine. That’s Elena… her doppleganger.”

“Either way, she’s dead meat!” She felt her eyes beginning to change as her fangs started to shift.

Damon pulled her further away before she could lunge again. “That’s enough! Knock it off!” he hissed.

“Let me go! I have to kill her! She has to die!” Lizzy hissed, still trying to break free. But Damon was older and stronger. “She cursed us!”

“That is NOT Katherine!”

“I should go,” the girl said, looking at Stefan, unnerved. “This is a family thing…”

“Elena, don’t go,” her twin said. “Damon’s got this.”

The girl, this Katherine lookalike, shook her head again. “I’ll come back later. I promise.”

She scurried out the door, leaving Lizzy still stuck in Damon’s grip while Stefan sighed. Her older brother guided her to the couch. 

She pulled free from his grasp as the front door shut. “I do know how to sit!”

“Stop acting like a spoiled child then,” Damon snapped.

“I’m not a child!”

Before she could get up, Damon pushed her back down. “Sit! Stay!”

“You’re both crazy—that’s Katherine Pierce. She’s supposed to be dead!”

Stefan crossed into her line of sight, standing beside their brother. She loved seeing them united, just not against her. “That was not Katherine, Lizzy.”

“Then who the hell is she?”

“Elena Gilbert, dear Stefan’s human girlfriend. She just happens to be a dead ringer for Katherine,” Damon said. “That’s why he likes her, right, brother?”

“Shut up, Damon.”

“Is this… she’s the reason you both came back, isn’t she? Have you idiots learned nothing?!” she hissed.

“Well, since we’re already vampires, what’s the worst that could happen?” Damon asked, crossing his arms. “She breaks Stefan’s heart again when she realizes I’m the better looking brother?”

“Since we’ve established why I’m here in Mystic Falls,” Stefan said coolly, turning his attention to Damon, “why don’t you enlightened us about your reasoning?”

Her beloved brother smirked. “That’s for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Damon crouched before her. “And you, Lizzy, dear… leave Elena alone. She’s not Katherine.”

“I know. If she was, she’d already have a stake through her black heart.” She stood up and brushed past her brothers. “I’m not gonna stand here and watch you guys kill yourself over her ghost. Call me when you grow up.”

* * *

_ A Few Weeks Later _

The bodies were beginning to pile up. Couples attacked just outside the town, their bodies drained and their throats torn apart. “Animal attacks” was what the official reports read. But Lizzy knew better.

She knew her brothers.

“Damon, you idiot…” she breathed, tossing her suitcase into the trunk of her Charger. She’d have to knock some sense into her oldest brother before he either killed half the town or the Founders realized vampires were walking among them once again.

_ When did I become the responsible member of this family?  _

Lizzy started her car up and pulled away from the motel she’d been staying at. If she could be in the Carolinas and hear about deaths in small town Virginia, her brother was getting out of hand.

Unless, the Ripper was back. In which case they were all screwed six ways to Sunday.

While Damon revealed in death, Stefan killed simply because he couldn’t get enough blood. He couldn’t stop. Only Lexi, his best friend, knew how to tame the beast inside.

He was like an alcoholic. One drink of human blood and Stefan was off the wagon. Her twin was a mindless, soulless killer when the Ripper had control.

It would take both her and Damon to get him secured and dried out.

She had no choice. She had to go home.

* * *

Mystic Falls was the last place she wanted to be right now. Not that it stopped her from pulling her Charger into the driveway of the Salvatore Boarding House. Home, sweet home. At least until this place burned down, too.

Lizzy climbed out of the car and let herself in without hesitating. She couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of her brothers. 

“Oh, what a pleasant surprise, little sister,” Damon called from the living room. “I was wondering when you’d show up again.”

She followed his voice to see him seated before a roaring fire. He seemed utterly amused.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Killing tourists? Why not make a sign that says ‘vampires live here’ or something? You’re going to blow our cover!”

“What cover? That we’re human? Normal?”

She glared at him. “Remember what happened last time? Do you really want to get locked up in the church and burnt alive?”  _ Like Katherine. _

In a flash, he was at her throat, one hand wrapped around it as he slammed her into the wall. “Say it, Lizzy. I dare you.”

“Do you want to be like Katherine?” she spat.

Damon half-flung her across the room like a rag doll. Something glass or porcelain crashed and shattered as she fell. Even as a vampire, she felt the aftereffects of the sudden, forceful shove. She’d never seen him angry. Not at her. Not in decades.

“Happy now?”

“No,” she said, sitting up on the floor. “I’m not gonna sit back and watch you destroy yourself. If you want to die, do us all a favor and stake yourself or forget your ring and go for a walk. This is just stupid.”

“Says the little witch who couldn’t.”

This time, she shoved him into the wall. “Don’t push me, Damon. If you’re going to be a prick, I’ll treat you like one. If you’re going to risk everything, don’t think I won’t lock you up and let you desiccate for a few hours.”

“Not if you’ve been eating squirrels.”

She gave him a push, tossing him toward the floor. “I’m not Stefan. I can control the hunger.”

“So you’re still snatch, eat, erasing through town?”

“That’s for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot,” she taunted, turning on a heel to head for the stairs. She heard a low laugh from him.


	7. Chapter Seven: 1864

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy finds an unexpected ally in Katherine's maid.

**Chapter Seven**

 

_No one is safe anymore. Not from these creatures. First her little dog, then her. Poor Rosalyn. Poor Stefan. His betrothed is dead. Killed at their own engagement party._

_If I didn’t know better, I would say it was planned._

_Only Katherine could stand to gain from his loss. Does she control the creature? Or is_ she _the creature?_

_~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary_

 

_1864_

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door that roused her from an uneasy sleep.

“Miss Elizabeth? I heard you were unwell,” a soft voice called as the door opened slowly.

She sat up slowly, glancing over to see Emily Bennett at the foot of her bed with a tray. “Oh, yes… how did you know?”

“Mr. Damon has been worried about you. I’ve heard him talking to Miss Katherine. I made some herbal tea for you.” She set the tray down on a dresser and carried over a delicate cup and saucer.

“You are too kind, Emily.”

“I hope it will help clear your head. It certainly helped your brother,” Emily confided with a smile.

Elizabeth took the proffered cup, sipping the warm liquid. Honey sweetened the bitter herbs as she swallowed it. “What is in it?”

“A mixture of healing herbs. I’m sorry for the taste.”

“It’s no matter. Thank you, Emily.”

The maid stepped back for a moment. “Miss Elizabeth, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but does being around Miss Katherine make you feel different?”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“A queasy feeling, perhaps?”

“I guess, why?”

“I know just what you need.” She pulled a small locket from the pocket of her apron. “It’s filled with a special blend of herbs to help with the sickness. I think you are overly sensitive to her perfumes.”

“Perfumes?”

Emily nodded, helping affix the locket around her neck. The weight of the cool metal relaxed her. She took a deep breath.

“Thank you. I do feel much better. You are a gem, Emily.”

She blushed. “You are too kind, Miss Elizabeth. You should rest.”

Elizabeth nodded, laying back down in her bed. “Thank you for the tea,” she murmured as sleep tugged her into the blackness.

* * *

By the next day, Elizabeth was able to leave her sickbed. Her first stop was Stefan’s room. She knocked lightly on the door before letting herself in.

“Lizzy?” Stefan sounded stunned.

“Hey, how are you?” She sat down on the end of his bed, looking at him.

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “I thought…”

“Thought what?”

“You were dead, too. I’ve been having these nightmares and in them it’s not just Rosalyn I find… it’s you. You’re both dead.”

Elizabeth leaned forward to hug her twin. “I’m not dead, Stefan, I’m right here.”

He hugged her back, nearly stealing her breath. “Don’t go outside. It’s not safe, Lizzy.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Besides, I have you and Damon to look out for me. I’ll be fine.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Please, Lizzy, don’t go outside. If anything happened to you…”

“I won’t, Stefan. I won’t go outside without you or Damon. I swear on Mother’s grave.”

That seemed to relax him. He slowly let go and sank back down in his bed. She sat up straighter. “Would you like me to get you some tea?”

“No, I’m okay. I just, I need rest.”

Elizabeth nodded as she stood up. “I’ll see you at supper, then?”

“Yes, yes, I suppose,” Stefan said, his voice sounding far away and distracted.

* * *

When she went to locate Damon, she ran into Katherine instead. She could’ve sworn she saw a flash of elongated teeth and red eyes as the other woman approached.

“Well, it is good to see you up and about, Miss Elizabeth,” she said in that sugar-sweet voice. “We were all very worried about you and Stefan.”

“As you can see I am feeling much better, but thank you for your… concern.”

Unwittingly, she rubbed the side of her neck, flinching as she brushed a sore spot. Katherine licked her lips, then stopped short.

“Did you change perfumes?” their guest asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” she lied. For some reason she wasn’t about to mention the herbs in the locket to Katherine. Some instinct told her that Emily’s charm was to keep her safe from Katherine.

“Hmm, I liked the old one better.”

Elizabeth ignored the half-insult. “Have you seen Damon?”

“Damon? Hmm, not since this morning. He went for a walk I believe.”

Stefan’s warnings not to leave the house rang in her head. “Do you know which way he went?”

“No, unfortunately. I have a feeling he’s hunting for the animal that killed poor Rosalyn though.”

She nodded. “Well, I should go. I suppose I will see you later, Katherine.”

“Yes, yes, you will,” the other girl sneered.


	8. Chapter Eight: 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A human visitor catches her eye in present day and she risks her secret.

**Chapter Eight**

 

_No matter what I say, I would never lock up Damon. Not after what happened. Neither of us do well in a cage. It’s an empty threat and I think he knows it._

_I will lock up Stefan. Lexi can get through to him if he starts eating people again. She really is a remarkable vampire. We have never been friends, but she is good for my brother._

_~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary_

 

_2009_

No one willingly moved to Mystic Falls. Especially not with all the recent animal attacks in the news.

Elizabeth had to play the part of the good sister and look out for her idiot elder brothers.

That’s how she found herself sitting at the Mystic Grill, nursing a beer while the new history teacher graded papers a few tables over.

He was easy on the eyes, much like her last boyfriend, but had an air about him of intelligence. Scott had been pretty, but brains weren’t what drew her to him. Too bad Alaric still seemed hung up on his dead wife. That’s the impression she got from the snatches of conversation she’d overheard and from the ring he still wore on his hand.

Then _he_ stepped inside.

Tall, dark, and handsome. In the 1860s, she would have fanned herself and perhaps swooned. A battered leather jacket clashed with his dark jeans in a good way, and his brown hair was nearly as long as Damon’s. A few strands fell into his eyes. Sexy.

Instead of approaching the bar, he sat down beside the history teacher.

“Sam, you made it!” Alaric stood up, clapping him on the back as he tugged him into an embrace. They reacted like old pals, not lovers.

At first glance he didn’t stick out. Young, but not a child—mid-thirties was her guess. His clothes were decent and fit him well, yet weren’t designer labels. Studious and soft-spoken from the snatches of conversation she picked up across the bar. Interesting, but not a heartbreaker swatting girls away like flies.

“Of course! You tell me you’re living in a small town that just happens to have a Civil War past and you expect me not to show? Ric, c’mon, how long have we known each other?” the stranger said.

“Too long.”

Lizzy smiled to herself, still listening in from across the room. She filtered out the other noises, the tinkling of glasses and the chatter of patrons and servers alike. She had one interest—the two men.

“How’s high school treating you?”

“Not bad for the most part. A few delinquent students seem determined to test my patience. I have one kid who didn’t even bother to hide that he copied his paper from the internet. He did everything but leave the web address attached.”

Alaric’s buddy snorted. “Some kids never learn.”

“Yeah, and how’s your book?”

He shrugged. “Stalled. I need some inspiration… or some sources. I never thought it would be this difficult to write about small towns during the Civil War. So much of it is the same old story.”

“What about this area? There’s a ton of history here. The town keeps great records and lots of artifacts. There’s bound to be some first-person sources and other anecdotes no one has ever seen before.”

“Like what?”

Lizzy watched as the teacher pulled out a binder. “What do you know about the Battle of Willow Creek?”

Her hand clenched around the beer bottle so tight it nearly shattered. What were the odds? Really, what were they? Mystic Falls was the quintessential small town. Tourists and strangers didn’t arrive often or last long thanks to the supernatural element. Two new arrivals in the last few weeks? No, that wasn’t normal. And two arrivals who were history buffs? Even less.

“Not much. Why?”

“There were tons of civilians killed. In fact, the church in the middle of town burned down. You could put it in your book.”

The other man nodded. “I’ll look into it. Hey, where’s a good place to crash around here?”

“There’s a few hotels not far from here, if you don’t want to crash on my couch.”

“Nice try, Ric. This isn’t college. My couch-surfing days are behind me,” he said in good spirits. “No worries, I do still plan to raid your fridge and drink all your beer.”

She failed to suppress a smile at that remark.

“I stocked up. Tell you what, I’ve got a few more papers to grade then I’m free. Why don’t you head over to my place and I’ll bring over some pizza? We’ll drink and catch up. Tomorrow, we’ll book you a hotel.”

“Sounds a like a plan, Ric.”

They shook hands and exchanged directions, plus Alaric’s house key. Lizzy finished her drink in one long swallow as he got up. No one would blame her for being curious. No one would even know she followed him. Being a vampire did have its upsides.

The stranger’s car wasn’t much to look at. An old two-door Jeep in need of a paint job, it appeared well-loved since it started without a sputter on the first try. Lizzy couldn’t help but be impressed as she slid behind the wheel of her own car—a classic Charger her brother helped pick out.

Her car turned over with a flick of the wrist. She pulled onto the road after the stranger, her curiosity getting the better of her. It was the witch blood.

Instinct drove her. It had since childhood. Elizabeth hated and loved it at the same time. Her gut feelings were rarely wrong. As if hearing about the Battle of Willow Creek—the so-called battle that turned both her brothers into the undead—wasn’t reason enough.

About two minutes outside of town, she knew why she had a feeling.

First off, he was clearly lost. Alaric Saltzman only lived a few blocks away from the Grill. There was no need to travel outside of town unless this friend had other motives. Even so, that hadn’t prepared her for the coming event. After all, it had been a feeling. A brush of a hunch that had her following him.

It happened in a flash.

A rear tire on the Jeep blew, forcing him to swerve alone the heavily wooded road near the Wickery Bridge. She saw him grip the wheel, fighting to keep the truck under control. But he couldn’t. No one human could.

She watched, almost in slow motion, as the truck somersaulted, rolling once, before hitting a tree with a sickening crunch and screech of metal. Smoke rose from the crumpled hood.

Lizzy threw her car in Park. She left the keys inside as she jogged across the deserted road. Could he still be alive? Was that even possible?

When she reached the Jeep, she knew it wasn’t for long. His breathing was ragged, his lungs rapidly filling with blood, and his forehead scratched and bleeding from the shattered windshield. She yanked the dented door open. He groaned, a faint, pained sound.

Without another thought, Elizabeth bit into her wrist, drawing her blood. She lifted it to his mouth, letting the thick blood dribble into his mouth.

Her brothers would scold her for saving a stranger. What use was being a vampire if she couldn’t save lives? She wasn’t about to turn him—just heal him. A bad car accident shouldn’t kill an innocent man.

Besides, it’s not like she’d ever see him again.

Her blood took effect. His breathing eased and his heartbeat evened out. She let out a sigh of relief when he opened his eyes.

“Who…what…?” he started to say, his lips wet with her blood.

“You were in an accident. It was bad. You got lucky. You never saw me,” she compelled, carefully closing the door.

He blinked, still trying to see her through the glass as she hurried back to her parked car. She had to disappear before anyone else arrived. The stranger would live—that’s all that mattered. And if he lived, she would find out why he’d been drawn to Mystic Falls. Why Alaric Saltzman had come to town. She could find out what they knew.

If she didn’t, who would protect her brothers?


	9. Chapter Nine: 1864

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for Damon has consequences.

**Chapter Nine**

 

_ I knew better than to trust her word, but after all the soft-spoken threats and the deaths, who could blame me for worrying?  _

_ I wasn’t about to lose my brother. Not Damon. Not if I could prevent it. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 1864 _

After changing into an old gown and sturdy boots, Elizabeth struck off into the woods in search of Damon. Stefan would be furious that she was out alone, even though it was midday and Rosalyn had been killed in the evening. She needed to see Damon—perhaps he would benefit from some of the herbs in her locket. 

She headed for the tree where Rosalyn’s body had been found. There were no signs of her brother among the many footprints surrounding the tree. She hiked up her skirts and continued on, tracing many of the routes through the estate’s woods they used as children.

After around a mile of walking and still no sign of Damon, Elizabeth sat on a fallen log to catch her breath. Her body was unused to exertion after finishing school, especially since Damon had been gone with the army for months. There was no sense in running about in the woods alone. And with the animal attacks, not many people ventured out for fun, even to escape the sweltering summer heat. Lying in her bed for close to a week hadn’t helped either.

She closed her eyes for a moment, only to hear the snapping of branches.

Immediately, she sat up, rigid and alert for any movement or sound. It was deadly quiet in the trees—no birdsong, no rustling of leaves in a light breeze.

A hand closed around her neck, gripping the locket. There was a hiss and the chain snapped. Elizabeth spun around to face Katherine.

The other girl hurled the locket into the trees. “I’ve had enough of your witchy voodoo, Elizabeth. In fact, I have had enough of your interference completely.”

Almost instantly, her face began to change. Veins darkened underneath her eyes and her teeth elongated into sharp points. She took on an almost a wolfish appearance. 

Liz backed up into a tree, her hands searching for a weapon of some sort.

“Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt—not for long.”

Her hands closed around a broken tree limb. Without a word, she whacked Katherine hard with the branch and bolted further into the trees, turning for home.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she wove in and out of trees, jumped over fallen branches and ditches. She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of her own heart.

She was nearly home when she crashed headfirst into her brother. Damon let out an oof as he caught her, the two of them tumbling to the ground.

“Lizzy, what…?” he began, pausing when he looked at her face. “What happened? Did you… the animal…?”

“Katherine… Katherine’s the beast…” she panted.

“What? No, that’s not… you must’ve hit your head.”

She pushed away from him, climbing to her feet. “No, I know what I saw. It’s Katherine. She attacked me…”

“I’m sorry, I did what now?” Katherine called in the sweet voice she used around company. She looked completely normal and demure. Angelic, almost.

“You killed Rosalyn, didn’t you?”

“However could I have done such a vile thing? We all know it was an animal that killed poor Rosalyn…”

Damon stood between the two women. He seemed torn between Katherine and Elizabeth. His lover and his sister. 

“No, it was you. I know it was you.”

“Lizzy, I think the heat…”

“I’m not crazy, Damon!” she protested.

“Oh, he knows you’re not.” Katherine sauntered toward him. “Right, Damon? You know the truth. Why don’t you enlighten her?”

“What is she talking about?”

Katherine’s eyes changed again as the veins beneath them rose, darkening her eyes, and she opened her mouth to reveal pointed teeth. “Are you afraid, Elizabeth?”

“No,” she said, her voice trembling.

“You should be,” she said, lunging toward Elizabeth. Before she could back away, she felt the sharp points of teeth sink into her throat.

She screamed as loud as she could as the blood dripped down her neck. As Katherine bit into her again and again. Deeper, harder, faster.

She scratched and clawed at the other girl, but Katherine was much stronger. Quicker.

Then she was on the ground, gasping for air as her vision failed.

“It would be so easy for me to kill you, just remember that…” that overly sweet voice whispered in her ear just as she lost consciousness.


	10. Chapter Ten: 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy has to deal with an expected visitor. Also, bonus snarky Damon.

**Chapter Ten**

 

_ Saving people is almost a hobby for me. Some vampires enjoy turning others who are near death. Me, I always just heal them and disappear. I’ve never knowingly turned another person. I have considered it before, but it would have to be their choice, not mine. _

_ I would never do to someone else what was done to me. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 2009 _

She swung the heavy front door open with ease. “Can I help you?”

He stood on her front step, his hair artfully messy like he’d been running his fingers through it, with his jeans low slung on his hips. Casual even with the button-down shirt covering a t-shirt she spotted underneath the first two undone buttons.

Lizzy stopped breathing for a moment. He’d found her. But she’d compelled him. Had he turned? No, he couldn’t be standing out here in daylight without a ring. But he had his hands in his pockets.

He smiled at her. “Hi, is this the Salvatore residence?”

“It is. Can I help you?” 

“I’m Sam. I was wondering if I could talk to someone about your family history.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Sam. My Uncle Zach usually keeps track of most of that, I could take a message…” she offered, trying to deflect. Zach would do his best to cover for her, but they all knew she was the real historian. Anyone with half-a-brain would notice that after a few minutes.

“That’d be great, especially if he could dig up any sources to share. Sorry, I’m a historian. I’m writing a book about the Civil War. My friend, Alaric Saltzman, just recently transferred here to teach history at the high school. He told me Mystic Falls has a rich history surrounding the Civil War. He said your family was heavily involved.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you came here. I’ll tell Uncle Zach you stopped by.”

She moved to close the door. He stuck his foot in the jam. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name.”

“It’s Lizzy.”

He smiled again. “Thanks for your help, Lizzy. I hope I’ll see you around?”

“It’s a small town, if you stick around, I’m sure I’ll run into you.”

“Great. I’m staying in town. Just ask for Sam Lane.”

“Sure. I’ll pass it along.”

Sam stepped back. “See you around, Lizzy.”

She shut the door and pressed her back against the mahogany. Lizzy forced herself to breathe in and out even though she technically didn’t need to breathe or at least not as much as other humans. 

“I’m gonna kill you, Damon Salvatore,” she breathed.

“Did someone just curse my name?”

Speaking of the devil, he sauntered into the foyer in a simple black shirt and jeans that together cost more than some people’s entire paychecks. He leaned against a wall, smirking in her direction. She flipped him off and stalked into the living room. She needed a drink after this.

Her brother followed. “Who was that at the door?” He sniffed the air like a dog. “Smells human.”

While pouring a glass, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Do you really need to be here right now?”

He shrugged. “It’s a good a place as any. Why?”

“You’re an ass.”

He gave her the standard ‘and-this-is-news-how?’ look. She narrowed her eyes and added a few drops of blood to her drink.

“So, why do you want to kill me this week, little sis?”

“You might save time by listing the reasons I  _ don’t _ want to kill you.”

“Fair enough.” With no effort, her brother plopped down on a sofa. “So… what happened?”

With the glass raised to her lips, she regarded her brother. For once in his life, Damon seemed genuinely interested. Her brothers both had selfish streaks, but Damon usually took the cake. She loved him regardless because, well, he was her brother. She could no sooner stop being a vampire than completely ignore him.

At least not when her humanity was switched on.

“Let’s see… oh, yeah, that’s the guy who wrecked his car outside of town a week ago.”

“Oh, the history teacher’s buddy? The Grill has been buzzing about that. Personally,” Damon’s voice dropped to a loud whisper, “I think they’re gay, but who am I to judge?”

She shot him a dirty look. He wiggled his eyebrows in response.

“Anyway, he should’ve died. I saw the wreck…”

“Oh, no, Lizzy, tell me you didn’t…”

“Who are you to judge? You ate the history teacher.”

“He was a dick. I was hungry. Hey, look, now Stefan’s not failing history!”

“You do realize none of those are good excuses for nearly exposing us, right?” Lizzy admonished. Sometimes she felt like more of a mother than a sister. 

A simple shrug was his only response.

“Fine, be a dick. Anyways, I fed him my blood. He healed. I compelled him to forget—and before you start, I eat people, not bunnies—and he just showed up at our front door.”

Damon leapt to his feet. “I’ll kill him.”

The glass in her hand fell to the floor as she ran to block his exit. She was across the room before it hit the floor and shattered. “Don’t you dare!”

“Obviously your compulsion didn’t work!”

“That’s not the problem. He’s a historian, Damon. He’s going to figure us out.”

“No, he won’t. I’ll eat him. Unless you plan to… ladies first and all that.”

“No one is killing him. It’s like you said—he’s human. His heart still beats. I didn’t turn him.”

“He could be a witch. They’re immune. Or maybe he’s on vervain. I know. We’ll chain him up in the basement and bleed the truth outta him.”

In a flash, they were across the room and she had him pinned to the wall. Her fangs were visible along with the veins beneath her eyes. “You. Stay. Away. From. Him.”

“Why so defensive? He’s just another human.”

“You made this mess, Damon. If you don’t leave him alone, you’ll be the one chained up in the basement, wasting away, and begging for bunnies.”

“Easy, easy, I just bought this—“

With a quick twist, she snapped his neck and let his body drop to the floor. Almost instantly, her features returned to normal as she sighed.


	11. Chapter Eleven: 1864 & 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In 1864, Lizzy realizes how dangerous Katherine really is.
> 
> In 2009, Damon proposes a solution to her problem.

**Chapter Eleven**

 

_ I’m scared. There’s something inhuman about Katherine. She’s trying to kill me and sooner or later she’ll succeed. Every time I try to warn Father or my brothers, they ignore me. She has some kind of power over them. I just don’t know what. _

_ Whatever it is, whatever she is, doesn’t affect me as often. At least, not in the same way. I can see her frustration at times when she tells me an order or demands information and I don’t comply. She’s used to getting her way. _

_ I have to figure it what she is before anyone else dies. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 1864 _

“Elizabeth? Lizzy!”

Hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her as she opened her groggy eyes to see Stefan’s worried face before her.

She blinked several times as he swum in and out of focus. “Stefan? Where am I? Where’s Damon?”

“He went for help. Lizzy, what happened?”

“I don’t know.” She tried to sit up her, her hands coming away with blood. She was covered in it; sticky and wet still. Her hands and gown were both coated.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, Stefan. I don’t know.”

He put an arm around her. “I’m here. Ssh, don’t worry…” he urged. “You’re safe now.”

“Stefan, what happened?”

“It’s not your blood… Lizzy, it’s not your blood.”

She stared at her hands, at the deep crimson staining her pale skin. It was still warm; the blood. She felt more nauseous than she ever had before. She had to get the blood off.

Stefan took her wrists. “Lizzy, please…”

“Who’s blood is it, Stefan? Who’s blood? Who?” she demanded, shivering despite the warm weather.

“Someone else… another girl. One of Rosalyn’s friends. They found her in the woods not far from here. Do you remember anything?”

“No…”

He pulled her close, holding her. “You’re safe now, Elizabeth. No one’s going to hurt you. You’re lucky to be alive. That animal could’ve killed you, too.”

A chill ran down her spine.  _ That animal will kill me one day. She’ll kill me. _

“I thought it only attacked at night.”

“It’s getting bolder or perhaps it’s diseased.”

_ Or it’s both. _

“I’m scared.”

“I know. When I saw the blood, I thought the worst…”

“It’s not my blood…”

He nodded. “It’s not. There’s not a scratch on you.”

“How? Not even a tree…”

“Ssh, you’re safe and that’s what matters. I don’t know what we’d do without you. I can’t lose you, Lizzy.”

“Where’s Damon?”

“He’s at the house with Father. They’re gathering men to hunt the beast.”

“It’s not safe. He can’t—“

“Ssh, don’t worry about Damon. He can handle himself.” Stefan pulled her gently to her feet. Her legs were like jelly. Her entire body didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just the nausea or waking up in another person’s blood. She was losing time again.

She was on the verge of losing what little sanity she had left. And if her father suspected anything, he’d ship her off the same way he had their mother when she was ill. And just like her mother, she knew she’d never come home again.

* * *

_ 2009 _

“Was that really necessary?” Damon asked her later, rubbing his sore neck.

She glanced up from her book. “Yes.”

“What is it about that guy that gets under your skin?”

“None of your business,” Elizabeth said, flipping a page.

“He’s just another nosy human. It would safer if we just—“ He made a slashing motion across his throat.

“Not an option.”

“Why not? You don’t…” He started to laugh. “You have feelings for him, don’t you? Little Lizzy is finally sweet on someone again. Alert the media! But, ssh, don’t tell Stefan…”

She threw her book aside and pounced on her brother. Damon looked amused as she pressed him against the wall. “What are you thinking, Lizzy?”

“That you’re an ass.”

“And?”

“You’re wrong. I don’t have feelings for him. I just don’t think we should kill every single human who might be a threat. It’s too suspicious if every single outsider turns up dead.”

“And…?”

“You breathe a word of this to Stefan and I’ll stake you.”

He held up his hands in surrender and she backed off. 

“Fine, have it your way, Lizzy. But we both know baby bro has a way of finding those closest to you…”

“If anything happens to Sam, it’s on you.”


	12. Chapter Twelve: 2009

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy lets a family secret slip to Zach.

**Chapter Twelve**

 

_ One of my favorite parts of being immortal is getting to know all of my descendants. Some of them embrace us as family while others fear us. Zach is mixed. He hates what we are but he also feels an obligation to us as family. _

_ He reminds of me of who I used to be. _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary  _

 

That evening, Lizzy stood statue-still in front of the fireplace with a glass of bourbon held tight. 

“Aunt Lizzy? Are you okay?” Zach Salvatore called from behind her.

She shook her head. “Honestly, Zach, I’m not sure.”

“Anything I can help with?” She could hear him approach even though his shoes were nearly silent on the wood floors.

“What do you know about Sam Lane?”

“Is that the fellow visiting the new history teacher?”

She took a sip. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

“What happened, Lizzy?”

She turned to look at him. Sometimes it hurt be around her living relatives, no matter the century, knowing that while she had them, her own son was long dead. She had never gotten to be a part of his life. She’d been too new a vampire and then it was too late.

“He was in an accident…”

“I heard. The car was a total loss,” Zach filled in, still curious.

“I saw the wreck, Zach. He would’ve died.”

“You didn’t…”

“He was drowning in his own blood. What would you have me do?”

There was a long pause.

“What if he’d turned? We don’t know how long vampire blood stays in the system.”

Zach was one of the more practical members of their family. And while he didn’t approve of their need for blood, he took his job to protect the town and the family secret seriously. 

“He didn’t turn. I couldn’t let him die. I had to do something. I compelled him to forget me. Everyone just thinks he was thrown clear.”

“What happened after that?”

She took a deep breath. “He showed up at the door earlier. He’s researching the Civil War. He’s writing a book and he wants to know about the Salvatores. He wants to see the diaries.”

“Lizzy,” Zach said softly, “please tell me you said no.”

“I’ve had lots of regrets over the decades, Zach. It’s time to tell the family story again. It’ll endure far longer than I will, especially if Damon continues on his self-destructive path. I won’t be telling him who I am of course. I will simply tell the story of the last of the Salvatore line. Someone besides me should remember them as heroes instead of victims.”

“But you were all victims. You, Uncle Stefan…” he paused before adding, “…and Uncle Damon.”

“Well, sharing Elizabeth’s private thoughts against Jonah with a Lockwood family in residence has its risks...”

“He was a monster,” Zach agreed, refilling her glass. “As far as I’m concerned, he would have destroyed his entire family if Damon hadn’t come home.”

She smiled at him sadly. “How did you get to be so wise?”

He shrugged. Thanks to vampirism, her young descendant looked a solid decade older than she was. It could be disconcerting at times. ”Probably your influence.”

“Surely.”

“Look, Aunt Lizzy, I don’t think it’s a good idea, but if that’s your decision, I’ll support it and you. Just tell me what you need.”

“It’s been a hundred-and-forty-five years, Zach. It’s time the people knew what occurred here. Not about the vampires, of course, but about their beloved ancestors. About the tragedies that befell the first Founders.”

“You’re going to publicize what you endured.”

“Elizabeth Lockwood was murdered by her abusive husband not long after her brothers died protecting the town. If I were to insinuate that Jonah arranged for them to die in order to take Veritas… or that he killed her father…”

“I know Jonah hurt you, but wouldn’t this hurt the Lockwoods?”

She drained her glass. “Zach, they’re dangerous—more than we are. Didn’t anyone tell you what they are?”

“Anyone who?”

“Figures. With a Lockwood on the council, they would keep their furry little secret.”

He frowned at her. “Furry?”

“The Lockwoods are werewolves, Zach. They turn every full moon. It’s genetic. A curse.”

“Vampires and witches I get, but werewolves? How much have you had to drink?”

She ignored him. “It causes the anger—the werewolf gene. It makes them aggressive. To activate their curse all they have to do is contribute to a death. It happens to almost every carrier, especially the males.”

“You mean…”

“Yes, Zach. My son carried the gene. He activated his curse before he turned twenty. He killed himself by age thirty."

“Lizzy…” he breathed, clearly in shock. She wasn’t surprised. The history books had done well to erase her son. She had herself done what she could to cover up his curse. The curse his children carried. 

“And no, you won’t turn into a wolf, Zach. The gene is less prevalent now. You’re much more Salvatore than Lockwood. You and your children will be safe.”

Cold flooded his face as the mention of children. “You know my thoughts on that. I’ll be the last Salvatore. I’m not continuing the family line. Uncle Damon—“

“I know. We all have our demons and Damon certainly has a habit of hurting those closest to him.”

“That’s an understatement. I don’t understand why you continue to associate with him.”

She took his hand in hers. “Zach, blood is thicker than water. And for vampires, blood is even more tangled. We shared the same bloodline before we turned. But my brothers were both sired by the same woman. And Damon turned me. We’re bound more deeply than I can explain. We’re part of each other.”

“You could still leave them.”

“And you could leave Mystic Falls,” she echoed. It was an old argument they’d had since he was an opinionated teenager. 

“You never fight fair, do you?”

“No, it’s a Salvatore family trait.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen: 1864

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything changes for Lizzy Salvatore one terrible night.

**Chapter Thirteen**

 

_ I am losing time. More and more spaces in my memory are blank. I barely leave my bedroom anymore. All the men of Mystic Falls are searching the woods for the creature but I fear it lives in our carriage house. _

_ I fear Katherine Pierce. _

_ I am not afraid just for myself, but for my brothers. They won’t listen to me. They’re falling deeper and deeper into her web and I can’t pull them out. _

_ I can’t lose them. I won’t. I will die first.  _

_ ~ Elizabeth Salvatore’s Diary _

 

_ 1864 _

Screams echoed in her ears from far off. The disturbance prompted her curiosity down the hall from where she lay sleeping, waking her from an uneasy dream. Elizabeth kicked off the covers and slid a loose-fitting dress over her shift. Her feet found a pair of shoes beside the bed, the floors chilly to her bare feet.

A quick glance through her window into the black night revealed torches. Even from the second floor, she could see the townsmen approaching, each carrying a weapon. Guns, swords, and pitchforks—anything and everything. 

Hastily presentable, she opened her bedroom door. “Father? Damon? Stefan?” she called, hurrying down the hall toward the noise. 

Another door was wide open and a woman’s prone body covered in dark fabrics lay on the floor. If her body could be considered covered given her lack of over clothes. A corset and skirts were not proper attire no matter the hour. She recognized the figure as Katherine Pierce, their houseguest. Stefan knelt beside her, his chest bare. It was clear, even to her inexperienced self, that a lover’s tryst had been interrupted. Above the pair, their father hovered.

“How did you know?” Stefan asked softly, almost wounded.

“Your sympathy for their plight,” their father said in a cold, emotionless tone. “I didn’t raise my sons to be so weak. The sheriff. Now. Go! Quickly!”

Her brother caught his thrown shirt, but stayed down for a moment as their father urged him to go. He was torn, as always, between duty and his heart. He had always been their father’s favorite thanks to his willingness to follow orders.

As he rose from the floor and fled the room, Elizabeth turned to enter. “Father? What’s happened?”

“You shouldn’t be here, Elizabeth. Go back to your room. Bar the door. Don’t open it for anyone other than myself.”

“What happened? Is Katherine alright?” She glanced at the prone woman. The other woman was conscious, but it seemed unable to move or speak. It was a blessing in disguise and helped curb the usual nausea she felt in the other woman’s presence.

“She is a monster. A vampire.”

Vampire. Blood drinking demons were a myth. Still, after everything that had happened since her arrival, Elizabeth had little trouble seeing her as an evil creature.

“I don’t understand,” she said. What had changed her father’s mind? Like her brothers, he had been loyal to the pretty devil called Katherine.

“Go back to your room, now, Elizabeth!” 

“But, Father—”

“Go, Elizabeth!”

Frightened, she backed away. Instead of running to the safety of her room, she ran for the safety of her older brother’s arms. Damon would know what to do. He always knew what to do, especially when Father was upset.

She opened the door to his room, only to find his bed empty. Frustrated, she ran down the stairs and out to the carriage house, where Katherine was staying. Perhaps he was waiting for the two-timing vixen there.

“Damon! Damon, come quick!”

The door to the carriage house opened as she sprinted across the lawn. “Lizzy? What’s wrong?”

“Father’s gone mad! He’s spouting about vampires and Katherine—”

“Katherine? Where?”

“Stefan’s room. Damon, wait!” She had to take two quick hops to every one of his long strides to attempt to keep up. “Damon!” 

Damon ran ahead of her, through the house and up the stairs, but it was too late.

She saw two men pulling their houseguest from Atlanta out of her brother’s bedroom with what appeared to be a muzzle strapped over her face. The brunette’s head was tilted forward and she seemed drugged or unconscious.

Their father grabbed Damon at the doorway, holding him back.

“No! Don’t take her,” her brother protested.

Father pinned him to the door as they carried her past. In the hallway, Liz crossed her arms, shrinking away from the men and the vampire they carried. Vampire. Such an ugly term. Somehow it fit Katherine Pierce perfectly.

“Do you know they’ll do to you if you’re branded a sympathizer?” Father hissed at Damon. “You’ll be killed along with them.”

“Then let me be killed.”

Liz’s heart broke. “Damon, no! No, please… don’t…” she cried, stepping toward them.

“Elizabeth, go to your room!” their father snarled, still restraining Damon.

“Father?” Her voice trembled. “Don’t make me…”

“Go now, girl!”

“Damon…”

“I’m sorry, sister.”

Just like that, he pulled free of father’s grasp and left the house. Their father gripped her shoulder. “You need to stay away from this, Elizabeth. Let the men handle this. Go.”

Liz wiped her cheeks, watching her father follow after her brother. She felt alone and forgotten. How could Damon choose that woman, that demon, over his own blood? Why was he willing to die for a woman he could never trust, who slept with their brother? What hold did Katherine Pierce have over her brothers?

Instead of cowering her in her room as she should, Elizabeth ran outside.

She ran through the woods, avoiding the torches and the men wielding them. She had spent her childhood amongst the trees, chasing after her brothers. She knew how to navigate the area. It wasn’t long until she spotted the police cart used to transport the vampires.

The back was open and two figures huddled over a third lying in the dirt. She saw the familiar shapes and the dark wavy locks of her brother. 

The figure on the ground had to be Katherine.

A rifle cracked and Damon fell backward into the leaves. Liz held in a gasp as she hurried closer to the site. Likewise, Stefan hurried to his side. She couldn’t hear her twin’s voice as she ran, not over the yells of the townsmen closing in. Stefan picked up a rifle to defend himself, but it was too late.

Crack!

“No! Damon! Stefan!” she shouted, picking up her skirts as she broke into a run.

Another crack and Stefan joined him on the ground, bleeding out. In a moment, both her brothers were ripped away from her. 

“No, no, no!” Tears blinded her as she neared their prone forms. 

Elizabeth could no longer hold back the tears. A scream ripped from her lungs as she ran flat out toward their bodies, praying they were still alive, praying it had been a graze or a mistake. Praying that she wasn’t alone.

“Damon, Damon! Wake up! Wake up, please!” she begged, shaking him. There was a sticky substance on the center of his waistcoat. It felt warm. She pressed her hand against it. “Damon?”

“Elizabeth, I told you to stay in your room. What are you doing here, child?” their father called, a rifle in his hand. “You should not see this.”

“Father? Damon—”

“They chose this for themselves, my dear. I’m sorry. You weren’t meant to be here.”

“You…” She turned to see the rifle in his hand, the barrel still smoking. “You did this. You shot them? How could you?”

“They sided with the vampires.”

“This is Katherine’s fault! They were blinded by her!”

“You need to leave. It isn’t safe here.”

His hands gripped her arms, pulling her away from her brother’s rapidly cooling body. She tried to fight, but she was too weak against him. “Father…”

“It is too late for them. Now go. I will not lose three children in one night.”


End file.
